Image : Courtesy Trevor Doyle |
There ’ s a famous saying in the sporting world that goes , “ If you ’ re good enough , you ’ re old enough ,” which gets used when a young athlete takes on older , more experienced athletes . There are coaches , psychologists and sports scientists that will tell you that a youngster should not be rushed into top level competition , because their body may not be able to handle the intensity yet , and they may not be mature enough to handle the pressure , which may lead to the young star burning out quickly , much like a shooting star , creating an intense but short-lived burst of energy and excitement , then fading into obscurity or disappearing for good from the sport . Others are able to maintain that initial level that got them their big break – some even get still better as they gain experience . For that reason , I was very glad to read the comments of Hennie Kriel , sprinting coach at the Tuks High Performance Centre in Pretoria , about his two teenaged sprinting prodigies Gift Leotlela and Clarence Munyai , who we feature on page 18 . Hennie wrote that he is a firm believer in not pushing young sprinters too hard , so as not to place too much pressure on them , and if he gets it right with these two young men , then I reckon South Africa has a very good chance of challenging for both individual and relay medals for a good few years to come , given that they will be joining the already established roster of senior SA sprinters who have done so well this past year , like Akani Simbine , Henricho Bruintjies and Wayde van Niekerk .
Both Gift and Clarence qualified for the Rio Olympics while still attending high school , and though they didn ’ t get past the first round of the men ’ s 200m heats , they picked up invaluable experience of competition at that level , which should help them push on and achieve still more in the sport . But for now , they ’ ve proven that being young does not mean you cannot compete with the best . Similarly , the article in our cycling section about the ever-growing Spur Schools Mountain
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Biking League ( page 52 ) points to the fact that there is a rich vein of emerging talent in this country . It just needs to be nurtured .
Older Generation
On the opposite end of the age scale , we feature 85-year-old road runner Deidre Larkin ( page 16 ), who continues to set world records in her age group while racking up podium finishes in races . Having only started running at 78 , to combat osteoporosis , it is incredible to see her averaging 60 races a year , on top of still working full-time as a piano teacher ! As she says herself , some people think that you ’ re supposed to stop moving when you reach your 60s , but she proves that growing older should not stop you from living life to the fullest .
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Another article that touches on the age issue is the Doyle family feature on page 20 . I am fortunate to include the Doyle brothers , Colin and Trevor , and their kids , amongst my running friends , and always enjoy their irreverent humour , no matter how tough the going gets . Both brothers also took up running quite late in life , and I love the way they motivate their kids in sport , not just by paying for entries and driving them to events , but also joining them in events . It ’ s a brilliant way to bring the next generation through .
Speaking of irreverent humour , I really enjoyed the race report by Jurgen Stringer ( page 48 ), who won a team entry into the FNB Wines2Whales mountain biking event through the mag , courtesy of organisers Stillwater Sports . It is fun and inspiring to read about two mates just going out there to enjoy themselves as much as possible , in spite of racing hard for three days . My kind of people !
Sean Falconer
Follow me on Twitter : @ sean _ falconer Follow the mag as well : @ modern _ athlete
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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Regulars : Christine Peters , Delaine Cools ( Comrades ), Derick Marcisz , Ernest Cooper , Jeannie Jordaan , Kyle Deeley , Nonkululeko Mdlalose ( Comrades ), Norrie Williamson , Pierre Ferreirra , Rachel Pienaar , Ray Orchison , René Kalmer , Riël Hauman , Roxanne Martin , Sean Falconer , The Gentleman Racer , Tom Cottrell Guest Writers : Bev Leal , Desiree Dickinson , Frankie Hunt , Helen Webb , Jurgen Stringer , Lizette Du Plessis , Nadri Zitzke , Samanth Lange , Tau Sedisa
COVER IMAGE Pablo Lancaster Jones
IMAGES Photo Agencies & Professional photographers : Cactus Images , Chris Hitchcock , Christiaan Kotze / SASPA , Fotolia , Janos Schmidt / UTI , Jetline Action Photo , Pablo Lancaster Jones , Reg Caldecott , Ronel Atherstone , Tobias Ginsberg , Volume Photography Non-professional photographers : Moegsien Ebrahim , Sanet Du Toit Courtesy : An-Li Kachelhoffer , Bev Leal , Burton Haupt , Claudia Hazelwood , Comrades Marathon Association , Coronation Double Century , Cycling SA , Cuan Walker , Deon Steyn , Desiree Dickinson , Doyle family , Garmin , IAAF , Jeannie Jordaan , Jurgen Stringer , Karen Thomas , K-Way VOB AC , Lizette Du Plessis , , Lynelle van Tonder , Mohlapa Mogowe , Nadri Zitzke , Neil Meyerowitz , Ntando Mahlangu , Randburg Harriers , René Kalmer , Ricky Nelson , Tanya Ho , Team Dimension Data , The Gentleman Racer , Trevor Doyle , Vusi Nkabinde , Wikimedia , and various Race Organisers , Athletes & PR companies
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WINNERS ’ CORNER Congratulations to all the winners of our December edition competitions .
HAVE YOUR SAY Win adidas Supernova Glide Boost running shoes for the winning letter Alison Faherty , Johannesburg
ATHLETES IN ACTION Win New Balance Fresh Foam trail running shoes for the winning photo Marc Bester , Cape Town
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